General Chronicle of Taiwan
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Summary
Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought have distinctive characteristics: religious theology, classics of traditional Chinese medicine, ancient military texts, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and extensive. This series, "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts", preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate their temperament and subtly come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.
Editor's review
Taiwan Tongji belongs to the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series and is published on the principle of preserving the original books' appearance. This compilation by Chen Yan follows a chronological, annalistic style, gathering the political affairs, military affairs, figures and local customs of Taiwan; it is a traditional historical text for understanding the course of Taiwan's history. Its value lies not in the detailed analysis of a newly written general history but in presenting the original compilation as it stands: readers can see how traditional scholars collected and arranged local documents and how they employed the annalistic form to encompass the history of a region. The language is classical Chinese, the narrative concise, and a chronological thread can be traced among the entries. It should be read alongside Taiwan's geography and the historical background of the Ming-Qing transition to appreciate the intent behind the selection of materials. The book is suitable as reference material for studying Taiwan's history and geography and as a reading sample of classic Chinese originals, rather than as an introductory popular work. For those interested in local documents, gazetteer studies and historiography, it offers an early text worthy of close reading.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Specialist readers researching Taiwan's history and geography, gazetteer studies and local documents
- Scholars in literature and history needing to consult traditional annalistic historical sources
- Advanced readers interested in classic Chinese originals and the compilation of ancient documents
- University students of history and Chinese using it as reference material
Not a good fit for
- General readers expecting popular stories or light history reading
- Beginners with limited classical Chinese reading ability who need vernacular annotations
- Readers seeking modern academic systematic exposition
Reading tips
- First read the preface or editorial notes to understand the original book's structure and sources of materials before entering the main text.
- Keep a historical map of Taiwan and a chronology of major events at hand to check the time and place of entries as you read.
- Excerpt entries on political affairs, military affairs and figures by topic, avoiding reading straight through and losing the thread.
- When encountering unfamiliar place names or official titles, consult reference works first and then return to the original text to reduce comprehension difficulties.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 台湾通纪
- 卷一
- 卷二
- 卷三
- 卷四
FAQ
What level of classical Chinese is required for this book?
The main text is in the classical annalistic style with concise sentences, but it involves a great many place names, official titles and historical backgrounds. Those with basic classical Chinese reading ability can read it through with the help of reference works; if one is accustomed only to modern Chinese, it is advisable first to read relevant vernacular works on Taiwan history as a foundation and then return to the original text, which will make understanding much smoother.
How does it differ from a general history of Taiwan?
General histories tend to reorganize causation and periodization according to modern academic frameworks, whereas this book preserves the appearance of a traditional compilation, arranging materials in annalistic entries; its selection criteria and narrative tone are those of old-style historical works. Its use lies in providing original texts and a compilation perspective rather than systematic conclusions, and readers must sort out the threads themselves.
Does the book include annotations or vernacular translation?
According to the publication notes, this series focuses on preserving the original books' appearance, with the aim of conserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture; the main text is therefore presented mainly as it originally stands. Readers needing annotation should prepare relevant reference works or consult modern research for comparative reading, and should not expect sentence-by-sentence vernacular translation.
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About the author
陈衍
Author
Chen Yan was a modern-era poet and critic of poetry; reliable public information about his life and native place is limited. His writings center on poetics and the compilation of source materials. His Shiyishi Shihua and its sequel discuss poets and poems of successive dynasties with discerning judgment and rank among the important shihua of the modern era. Songshi Jinghua Lu, an anthology of Song poetry with commentary, is noted for its rigorous selection and has circulated widely, while Yuanshi Jishi gathers anecdotal and documentary material on Yuan poetry and is valuable both as a source collection and for textual research. He also took part in compiling historical and geographical works such as Taiwan Tongji and Fujian Tongzhi Lixuan Xuan. His works fall under classical poetry, literary appreciation, Eastern philosophy, and social science, and the collection also includes vocational education competitiveness reports and examination-related titles, showing a range of subjects across literature and the social sciences.
